Doctor insights on:
Tibial Atherectomy

1

Atherectomy v balloo:
typically blocked arteries can be opened more widely by inflating a balloon inside the vessel. The balloon is then deflated and removed from the vessels. At times, heavy calcium makes the arteries so hard they won't open w/ the balloon. Some of those lesions can be addressed w/ Atherectomy, a device that shaves the plaque down creating a more wide flow channel.
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3

Calcified blockages:
Rotational atherectomy is used for very hard and calcified blockages. Its like a drill bit and strips away the calcium so an angioplasty or a stent can be deployed. Often without the atherectomy catheter u can't do a stent and a bypass would be neccessary.
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4

Yes:
Angiography and atherectomy are both performed through the same approach, namely inserting a catheter into an artery, usually the artery at the groin. The angiography is performed first. If this reveals a plaque in the artery accounting for the symptoms, the catheter can be exchanged for another type of catheter that can carry out the atherectomy.
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5

Same as angioplasty:
This should not feel any different from a regular angioplasty. As far as long term effects, the usual patient for atherectomy does not have very good anatomy and that is primarily the reason atherectomy is used. Hard, calcified plaques are usually not amenable to other methods of angioplasty. There are many cases when atherectomy is combined with stenting which is usually a better outcome.
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6

Atherectomy:
there is surgical and transcatheter atherectomy. In general surgical atherectomy can deal with larger lesions. Your physician who has the information about you can provide specific advice for you.
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8

Different :
Atherectomy is not better than stenting, it usually is reserved for cases when a balloon angioplasty combined with stenting, or direct stenting can not be accomplished due to the plaque burden. In those cases atherectomy is used to debulk the plaque and the best result would be if this can then be supplemented with a stenting to prevent plaque regrowth or near-term closure of the vessel.
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9

No:
Bypass if needed and possible is a better form of revascularization. To this day, and to the best of my knowledge, there have not been any studies that show angioplasty of any kind has a better long-term outcome than bypass surgery.
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